


Shot at the night

by WindyOlive



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bodyguard, Eventual Smut, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kidnapping, M/M, Organized Crime, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2020-11-27 18:17:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20952818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindyOlive/pseuds/WindyOlive
Summary: Dealing in contraband and drugs, the Donquixote family is one of the city's richest and most powerful criminal organizations. Originally raised to become the successor of the family's leader, Law’s only control on his life seems to come from his work as a surgeon.After being forced into an early retirement from working as a bodyguard, Eustass Kid tried to live his life his own way. Accepting any dirty jobs he could get to survive while keeping a low profile. Unfortunately, he seems to be a magnet for trouble when it comes to dealing with dangerous people. He had never imagined, however, that getting involved with the Donquixote family in house doctor would be this perilous.





	1. Don’t give up your day job

Kid squinted when the harsh light of the underground parking lot reflected on the metal pipe held by the man standing in front of him straight into his eye. He already had trouble focusing on the action going on in front of him, his only concern laid with the moment the makeship weapon would escape his line of sight completely, promising another ripple of pain. 

“Tell us who you work for” A raucous voice ordered. 

Although he maintained a strong built, capable of resisting most harsh treatment, Kid felt sore all over. He supposed he should have been feeling much worse but the adrenaline coursing through his veins was keeping him alert while preventing the pain to take over all of his senses.

As he failed to reply quickly enough, the threatening rod sliced the air and made contact with his abdomen, knocking the air out of his lungs brutally. His body bent forward the best it could while being tied up to the chair he was sitting on, recoiling from the pain of the blow. This time, it took all his might not to pass out, refusing to give up on the slim hope that he could still make it out alive.

He heard a snigger to his right. The bastards were enjoying tormenting him. He managed to bring his head back up, gasping for air and desperately trying to calm his erratic breathing. All around him, his vision was becoming cloudy until everything was reduced to a monochromatic blur. The only exception was a single bright pink stain that seem to occupy the corner of his eye since he had gotten here, barely escaping him. He hardly had time to wonder about it, however, as a hand roughly grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. 

“You got some nerve messing with the Donquixote family”

He could barely discern the face of the man towering above him from that angle, the lights of the concrete ceiling blinding him. How long had he been there? Hours? Minutes? Time was going by excruciatingly slowly. He had tried to reason with his tormentors at first, explaining that he knew just about nothing of the entire ordeal. 

He had been hired by an unknown employer to burn down some building in the outskirts of town, realizing too late the building had belonged to one of the most dangerous crime families of Grand Line City. He had even brought his crew into this mess and he had no idea if they had managed to get away after they had gotten ambushed by heavily armed men. He reined back his thoughts, trying not to think about it now, his own survival was already not guaranteed. He was at the mercy of his abductors and possessed very little useful information. 

To his relief, his hair was released and the pressure on his neck lowered instantly. His head sagged forward like an unarticulated puppet. He did not have time to collect himself as a closed fist struck him on the temple. His dizziness suddenly became unbearable and his eyelids fell closed. Against his best efforts, he was finally losing grip on his consciousness. 

As darkness began to surround his mind, he heard someone letting out and annoyed sigh and then a bone chilling voice rang in his ears.

“When is Law coming home?”

* * *

Law's eyes were focused on the movements of his gloved fingers as he finished stitching the incision on the torso of his patient. The emergency open heart surgery had been a success after many hours of hard work and he felt completely drained. Nevertheless, he had seen the entire procedure through, down until the very last stitch. 

He felt relieved when he finally put away his tools and stepped back. He barely acknowledged his crew, only enquiring with the anestesian about the patient's status before stepping out to clean and change. All that was left was finishing the paperwork and notifying the patient's family. He would probably leave the later to one of his assistants as he usually did went things went this smoothly. His surgeries had rarely been unsuccessful and, although he took a lot of pride in his work, dealing with people had never been his forte. 

After he had gotten dressed back in more casual clothes. He headed to his office to sign the final documents related to the surgery. As he had expected, he was rapidly interrupted by a knock on his door and and an orange haired man slipped in before he had time to react. He was about his age and was wearing a nurse uniform. 

Shachi, was always the first one to greet him when he had completed an extensive surgery. He always seemed to know when Law would be in his office even when his surgeries had ended up taking a considerable amount of extra time. Law also entertained the idea that, maybe he spent a lot of his time peeking into his office hoping the surgeon would be in until he was. 

"Want some coffee captain?" Shachi asked him, flashing a friendly grin.

His closest colleagues at the hospital liked using that nickname for him and Law couldn’t remember when it started but he wasn't too bothered by it. 

"I'm heading home" Law shook his head. 

He got up from his seat, grabbing the completed and signed documents as he did. It was well past midnight and he could feel his body starting to protest the countless hours of work he had done during the day. He handed the pile of documents over to his colleague. This was also part of their usual routine. Law would complete the paperwork and then Sachi would go around delivering it to where it belonged and notifying the right people.

They left the office and Law locked it up behind them.Shachi was being unusually quiet and the surgeon only had to glance at his solemn expression to know he was being hesitant to speak. 

"What is it?" Law pressed frowning.

He really didn't have the energy to spare trying to figure out what was burning on his friend's tongue. 

"I spoke with Dr Marco." Shachi replied after thoroughly biting his lower lip. "He says he can't prescribe another replacement, I'm sorry" 

"I'll be fine" Law reassured, hiding a sudden surge of disappointment. "Good night" 

He waved at Shachi above his shoulder as he walked down the hospital hallway. He had half expected the general practitioner to refuse his request to renew his sleeping pills prescription early, again. He knew he was pushing his luck but it still stung. He was heading home to rest but he knew he would not be able to catch any proper sleep without those. Every step he took while walking to his car was heavily weighing with tiredness and defeat. The gray Lamborghini he stopped in front was parked in his private spot. The vehicle wasn't his, even with his salary as a high profile surgeon he couldn't have begun to afforded the exclusive model. He had more or less borrowed the luxury sports car and he knew he would have to give the keys back to its owner by tomorrow. He wasn't supposed to be driving. The family has taken care of providing him with a personal driver and bodyguard but hated the thought of being babysitted.

He sat behind the wheel and began his drive back to the mansion. He was heading for the other side of the city and took the highway, deserted at this time of the night. The engine of the car roared as he accelerated. He enjoyed this moment of freedom. Driving carelessly into the freezing night of fall felt liberating. However, he could not get rid of the nagging feeling that this whole sentiment of independence was temporary. 

His work at Grand Line hospital as a surgeon was only a fleeting escape to the wicked reality of his life. His colleagues were the closest things he had to friends but he had decided to never share the details of his personal life with them. For all they knew, Law was a loaded bachelor enjoying his bachelor's life of adventure and carelessness , unaware of his long lived ties with a dangerous criminal organisation . 

He slowed down as a police car passed him in the opposite direction, sirens blaring. His eyes followed the flashing red and blue lights in his rear mirror and he took notice of an ominous smoke cloud rising in the distance, barely distinguishable from the starless night sky. He pulled at the next exit, forgetting the smoke almost as soon as it had left his sight. I wasn’t long before he reached the city’s richest neighborhood. The houses there were ridiculously big and the vast walled terrains they occupied left them with a great distance from one another. Overall, this part of town was barely populated and the roads were empty.

He came to a stop at the gates of a mansion which was easily the largest one around. In addition to the main building which was three stories high, the property was occupied by many other edifices serving different purposes. The installations looked almost like a campus and they were all occupied by the family and their associates. 

He waved briefly at the security guard at the gates who recognized him and proceeded to open the path for him. Once he had crossed them, he took a sharp turn right and headed for the underground parking to park the car where he had first gotten it.

Since it was way past midnight, Law had not expected to run into anyone from the family between the mansion door and his bed. Unfortunately for him, a dark haired man dressed in white was standing near the elevator leading back to the main building. He was wearing black sunglasses which was odd considering the time of the day and the place but Law would have been more surprised if he had not worn them. He knew the man as Vergo, the boss's right hand man. As far as Law could remember, Vergo had always hated him and the surgeon reciprocated the feelings.

He tried to ignore him and get to the elevator but his path was cut off briskly.

"You're needed, Law" Vergo said as he stepped in front of him. 

Law looked up to meet the taller man's eyes through his glasses. His evening working in ER had made far too tired to look defiant or angry. He could feel the dark circles pooling under his own eyes and the best he could manage was an annoyed frown. Whatever Vergo needed him for at this time of the night, it couldn't be anything good and wanted nothing to do with it. 

"I'm tired" His voice fell flat, matching his looks.

Unfortunately, it did not deter Vergo as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bottle which he dangled slowly in front of him, giving rise to the clacking sound of pills moving around inside of it. Law recognized the label instantly. Sleeping pills, and not just any, the very same bottle that had gone missing from his things a few days back. Without them he was lucky if his sleep would be one contiguous block and not a series of short moments of respite punctuated with tormenting vivid dreams. 

“Fine” He sighed, giving in to the extortion 

He could at least see what he was needed for and decide afterwards if facing his insomnia sounded more pleasant. He followed silently as Vergo led him further into the mansion's underground parking lot. It was a vast space mostly used to store the family's luxury cars. However, they did not walk anywhere near where the vehicles were parked, but to another isolated spot. 

As they passed the concrete wall hiding that section of the lot, they were greeted with a sight that would have turned anyone else’s stomach upside down. The scene looked like it had been taken straight out of a horror movie. Plastic sheets had been laid out on the floor around and under a chair that was occupied by a bloodied and heavily beaten body. The doctor's brain was quick to assess the situation with a single look. It seemed the man was still breathing, despite the terrible state he was in. He had visibly received a bad beating, most likely with a blunt object, and there was no doubt a risk of internal bleeding and permanent damage. His arms were securely tied behind the chair which seemed like a useless precaution as he was out cold.

A bit farther away, two of the family workers were chatting by a car that had no doubt been used to bring the poor fella here. They stopped their conversation when they spotted Vergo and Law approaching.

"He passed out. Patch him up" Vergo ordered and the doctor tsked in annoyance, his gray eyes still fixated on the captive.

"I have better things to do with my time than repair your broken toys" He snarled, although he was obviously lying through his teeth. .

He had nothing to do at all in this mansion. All the basics of living were fulfilled by servants, from cooking to cleaning. Apart from his day job, Law had very few occupations. Tonight, satisfying sleep was out of the question without his medicine. Even if he didn't actually have anything else better to do, it didn't mean he was willing to play doctor on whatever poor bastard the family or its workers had decided to beat up to a pulp.

"We haven't gotten the information we wanted from him yet" One of the men who had been silent until now explained before unceremoniously spitting on the ground, only bringing forward more contempt from the surgeon

"Then perhaps you should've used more finesse" He turned his head for a moment to glare in disgust at the goon before his attention was brought back to the injured body. 

He wrinkled his nose at the sorry excuse for an interrogation. This had definitely been a botched job. There was blood everywhere, even some splattered on the uncovered wall behind the chair, evidence that would need to be thoroughly cleaned. The man had been knocked out before giving anything useful by having been hit on the head at a wrong angle, Law could deduce. Nothing about this mess had been done properly and now he was being asked to clean up.

“Doflamingo’s orders” Vergo spoke again before he could complain anymore, sealing his fate at the same time.

Of course it was Doffy,'s orders. Who else would have thought of manipulating him using his sleeping pills. It was all a twisted game he was playing with Law. After all, if it was the will of the family's leader, there was nothing anyone could say to get out of it. The refusal of such a request would only bring trouble and no one wanted to be on the Joker's bad side. Law gritted his teeth before he finally complied.

"I'm not treating him here." If he was going to do this, he decided, it was going to be on his own terms at least. "Get him to the clinic"

Vergo lifted his chin towards the two workers, giving them the silent order to listen to Law's request. They proceeded to untie the man from the chair and carry him out to where the doctor wanted him.

Law took a step to follow before he was stopped by the iron grip of Vergo's hand on his shoulder. He glared up at the man, waiting for him to speak.

"Don't mess it up"

Law’s brow furrowed. He shook the hand off himself and walked after his late night patient, internally cursing at Vergo for daring to doubt his skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I guess I should put a warning, I am awfully bad at setting and respecting deadlines. This fic has about 11 other chapters in a state of rough draft which I need to get around to review and post. Same goes for my other fic. 
> 
> ~Until next time


	2. A clean bill of health

The night progressed slowly as Law treated the injuries of the knocked out captive, otherwise alone in the mansion’s clinic. After his patient has been laid out on the single examination table, the surgeon had dismissed the henchmen accompanying him, preferring to be alone. He could ensure his own safety if needed and the family workers generally made for poor company. Vergo had obviously seen fit to leave a guard near the door for safety but Law knew it was most likely to keep an eye on him so he would not slip out. Having been given his sleeping pills back, Law could not deny he had considered sneaking to his bedroom for much needed rest. However, as his eyes went over the inanimate body, a pang of pity had taken the best of him.

He had rolled his high chair close to the table, allowing himself a bit more comfort than his usual gig allowed. Despite the bad circumstances, he enjoyed his time alone, completely absorbed in stitching and patching up the body lying in front of him. After several hours, he finally lowered the lights before dropping down on his chair and leaning back into it, satisfied. He checked his phone for the time and realized he only had a few hours left of solitude before the mansion would come alive. He still felt very much awake and doubted he could sleep naturally. The pills would have him knocked out for longer than he wished so he decided to stay by the man's side until morning came.

He straightened himself and flipped his chair around so he could cross his arms on it’s back and leaned his chin on his forearms. Now that he was no longer focusing on his doctor's work, he took a proper look at the face of the rough looking man, trying to find a story in those now restful features. He had bright red hair which Law had earlier thought were just stained in blood. Upon further inspection he had realized it was his actual hair color. Under the swelling of his head and the many bruises and cuts of his skin, Law could discern manly and young facial features.

He wondered how his forced patient got involved with the family. Clearly Vergo thought he was working for a rival organization. Maybe the redhead had caused trouble. Maybe he was just an innocent bystander. By the rough looks of the man and his muscular build, Law doubted that last possibility, but he would just have to wait and see.

It wasn't long before the man lying on the clinic's table gave a faint sign of life. Law had given him a small dose of sedative to make sure he would not wake up during the procedure. The redhead groaned before one of his eyes opened slightly. Law noted the unusual iris color, a deep red matching his hair. As the muscular body started to become more agitated, visibly trying to get up, Law decided to intervene.

"I would not try to move yet if I were you" He warned. "You might worsen your wounds"

The red haired man turned his head towards him visibly surprised. He had probably not realized he wasn't alone. Law did not read any fear in those radiating eyes as they stared at him. He wondered if it was because he did not look threatening sitting there looking like he had not slept in a week, which was not far from the truth, or if he was just very clueless about his situation.

"Where am I?" He grunted, the effort of speaking seemed to send a wave of pain in his body.

"The Donquixote mansion clinic" Law answered, not bothered slightly with leaking information.

The redhead cursed, probably remembering what had happened hours earlier. He sat up abruptly before bending in two, groaning as his injuries made any movement difficult. Law didn't budge, observing the struggles of his resuscitated patient with the curiosity of a child playing with a crippled insect. He had been told to patch him up and nothing more. If he went ahead and reopen his injuries and bled out before making it to the clinic's door it was no longer his concern. 

As the pain subsided, the redhead seemed to come to the realization that his clothes were missing and rapidly replaced the thin blue blanket Law had seen fit to cover him with to keep him from being completely exposed. The doctor smirked as he discerned a slight brush in the other’s expression quickly hidden by an angry scowl.

"Where are my clothes?" 

"I had them thrown away" Law shrugged. 

They were ruined anyway, stained with blood and ash and torn. The Donquixote family did not have a history of letting their captives get out alive either. 

The redhead looked at him like a third eye had just sprouted in the middle of his forehead. Law held the stare, patiently waiting for him to speak his mind, although he had the idea that he was not too happy about the situation.

"Are you the one who patched me up?" He asked, and Law raised a brow. He had expected the man to lash out at him but he was proving to be more docile. "You dont look like a doctor" 

Law had to conceived he was not a typical doctor and right now he looked nothing like one. He was still wearing black jeans with a gray hoodie harboring a dark leopard pattern, the clothes he had changed into at the hospital hours earlier. He had not even bothered throwing on a lab coat. His hair was a mess because of his nasty habit to run his hand through it when he wasn't wearing a hat. 

"Why else could I possibly be here for?" Law replied sarcastically earning a suspicious stare from the red head.

The man on the table was clearly suspecting him to be his next interrogator but his looks were not matching that role either. Law could only find his confusing amusing. 

"Why are you here for?" The doctor then asked, curious.

Vergo had not given him any details, he never did, but he was mildly curious as to how one could get himself so deep in trouble. Messing with the Donquixote family was not something anyone sane would try.

"As I told your... friends, earlier..." The redhead started and Law frowned at the assumption he had anything like a friendly relationship with anyone here. "...I was set up"

"It was supposed to be an easy job, the in and out kind of thing" He seemed to be remembering something painful for a moment. "Fuck. If I had known the Donquixote were involved I never would have taken it" 

He brought his hand up to rub his forehead.

Law was not surprised his patient had fallen for a trap, he hardly looked like a brainy guy.

"My associates seem to think you're keeping useful information" Law explained. 

He tilted his head, leaning in more comfortably on his crossed arms. 

"I told them everything already!" The man snapped "The one who hired us never contacted us directly" He ran a hand through his mid long hair as he recalled the events. He seemed to lose himself in thoughts before he turned to Law again, his eyes expressing concern for the first time. 

"Where is the rest of my crew?" 

Law arched a brow. It was improbable that anyone else had been brought back to the mansion. The family would usually use remote locations for this kind of activity. Before he could say anything, the sound of someone fiddling with the door knob filled the room. It was soon followed by a vigorous knocking.

"Law." A voice from the otherside called out.

The injured man looked ready to pounce on his feet and fight his way out. Something animalistic was now glimmering in his eye and Law could barely look away 

"Unless you want another beating, lie down and shut your mouth" 

Law was unwilling to get caught in a melee between his patient and the one knocking at the door. The redhead looked at him warily before finally complying.

There was another insistent knock before Law unlocked and pulled the door opened. A bulky blond man was standing in front of him. Law needed but to glance at the sizable tattoo of the family crest on his chest to feel annoyed. 

"What is it Bellamy?" Law asked the newcomer even if he already knew what he had come here for.

"Were you asleep?" 

Law was quick to brush him off. He did not care for small talk with most of the people in this mansion. Their blind devotion to Doflamingo made him sick. Bellamy in particular was not the brightest tool in the shed, having trouble remembering his place at the bottom of the hierarchy yet somehow that made him more bearable. He would not bother with meaningless politeness around Law or any of the executives 

"Did you come here to ask about my night?" 

"Doflamingo wants to see you" The blond finally said what Law was waiting to hear.

Of course Doflamingo wanted to see him. The doctor had known he would not catch a break in the morning. He knew exactly why as well.

He turned towards the inside of the room speaking a bit more loudly to make sure he would be heard properly by the man pretending to be asleep.

"He should stay out cold for a while with the drugs I gave him" He said, motionning lazily towards the examination table, "I'll come back to check on him in an hour"

He closed the door behind him, leaving it unlocked. What would his patient do now? Would he try to escape even though he didn’t have any clothes and his body was far too injured to fight his way out? How far would he go? Or would he just wait it out and expect Law to help him? The many possibilities were racing in Law’s mind as he gestures at the guard posted nearby before starting his walk down the hallway, Bellamy on his tail as the lap dog he was. 

He didn’t believe the redhead would manage to go very far, let alone escape, but the thought of him causing a commotion in the family's mansion was amusing. 

He took a right and climbed the building’s main staircase. He knew where to find the one that had called for him at this time of the day even in the enormous mansion. Doflamingo would be reading the morning newspaper in his study on the second floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split the first chapter in 3 parts so this one is a bit tiny. Will try to post the last one soon. 
> 
> ~ Until next time


	3. It takes two to tango

When he reached the door of Doflamingo’s study, Law knocked twice on the hardwood before entering. He was expected, there was no need for politeness. He shut the door at Bellamy’s face, who had followed him this far, making sure the underling understood his presence was not required.

The study was furnished with large wooden bookcases and leather couches. It was classically decorated with a floor lamp and a patterned gray carpet.

As Law had predicted, a tall man with short blond hair was seated at the massive mahogany desk centered with the carpet, sipping coffee with one hand while the other held a newspaper. He was wearing a dark red suit, looking as sharp as ever even this early in the morning. Pink shades were hiding his eyes.

"You asked for me, Doffy?" Law started, eager to get this meeting done with before it had even started.

He ran his hand in his hair, trying to pet down the rebelling dark locks, feeling his gruff appearance was contrasting too much with the neatly organised room.

Doflamingo's head turned to him as he drew a smile from his lips. He put down his cup and slowly folded the newspaper before laying it down as well. He brought his now free hands together, interlocking long fingers, before resting his chin over them. Law stood there feeling the taller man eyes inspect him from behind his glasses.

"You don't look like you slept" Doflamingo finally spoke cutting through the silence.

Law replied by shooting a glare in his direction. He wished everyone would just stop acting like his sleeping habits concerned them. This time, however, he had the reason for his torment right in front of him.

"Thanks to Vergo. He had work for me" Law replied.

He could not dare blame Doflamingo directly but he was not any less bitter about it.

"So I heard" The other said and Law saw the smile grow bigger for a second.

An uncomfortable silence settled in. Law held Doflamingo's stare the best he could. The blond man was impossible to read and the surgeon tried to be as deadpan as possible even if he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.

"I also heard you took off with something of mine yesterday" Doflamingo finally added, leaning back in his chair.

Law fished the Lamborghini keys out of his pocket and threw them on top of the desk nonchalantly.

"How did you get them?"

Doflamingo rarely used the car although it was probably his favorite out of his collection. He kept the keys on his person at all times which would make it impossible for anyone to steal them. Anyone but Law.

"You left them lying around while you slept "

Doflamingo frowned lightly, displeased.

"What about your caretaker?"

His caretaker, as Doflamingo liked to call it, was more of a bodyguard and driver. His official responsibilities were to keep Law safe and assist him with whatever he needed. The surgeon however knew his real job was to be the family's eyes, making sure the young man respected Doflamingo's orders and did not do anything to endanger himself or the family.

"He's easy to sneak past" Law lied.

That last one had given him all the trouble in the world. He had tried sneaking out the mansion through every single exit that he knew of but the brute always seem to show up just when he thought he was in the clear. He could not step foot outside the walls fencing the vast terrain without the caretaker knowing about it and then sticking to him like glue. He had had to steal one of Doffy's car before he could finally make it out of the mansion grounds by himself.

"Well I've gotten rid of him. I'll need to find a new one" The blond man explained.

Law almost felt pity. Letting him get out unattended one time wouldn't have been such a big deal if it hadn't involved the beloved car. He could only imagine how the poor man had probably ended up sleeping with the fishes. On the other hand, he also saw this as a new opportunity to get rid of this caretaker system that was imposed on him. After all, Law felt more pity for himself than anyone else at this time.

"I don't need a caretaker"

He had repeated those words countless times before. He had also seen a fair amount of bodyguards go by as the years went. They never lasted long and Law knew no one in the organization wanted the job anymore. For a time, it might have appeared simple, until the caretaker realized how insufferable Law could be when he was unhappy. And Law was unhappy to have someone shadow him constantly so it was a paradox really. The consequences of repeated failures were dreadful and not worth the more than generous payment.

"And you don't need that doctor job. Perhaps spending some time at home will do you good" Doflamingo threatened and Law cursed under his breath.

Before he had time to say anything else, the door behind him flew open and a figure slid in before shutting it again Moments later, there was the sound of people running in the hallway before silence settled in again. Both Doflamingo and Law looked shocked at the sudden appearance of a half naked red haired man, now leaning back against the large door . The doctor recognized him almost instantly but was unable to react. He had not expected him to be back on his feet and running around so soon. He was out of breath and clearly in pain. He had wrapped the sheet around his waist in a clumsy effort to compensate for his lack of clothing. It visibly took him a minute to notice he had not stepped into an empty room.

By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. Doflamingo had been quick to pull a pistol out of one of the drawers of his desk. Removing the safety with a flip of his thumb and pointing it at the intruder.

"It's a shame I quite like the carpet in this room" He mused, his finger finding the trigger.

The voice brought Law back to his senses suddenly.

"Wait Doffy!" He said before he could shoot and splatter the redhead brains over the walls.

His body moved before he could think, stepping between the redhead and the gun. At that moment, he could not really grasp just why he would endanger his own life to save someone he had just met. Nevertheless, he saw not the possibility for an act of kindness but the opportunity to improve his own living condition. Luckily, Doflamingo froze but kept his finger ready to press the trigger.

"From what I understood he's a mercenary" He tried, slightly relieved there was not now a bullet lodged in his chest.

The redhead behind him stayed still and completely silent, probably knowing his best chance of surviving the encounter laid with Law. Or perhaps he was considering grabbing the doctor and using him as a human shield. From observing from the corner of his eye, there was no way to be sure.

"So what? Are you suggesting we hire him?" Doflamingo laughed but the surgeon was not deterred.

"We are looking for a new caretaker" He insisted.

"You're being ridiculous"

"If he can't keep up then you'll just have to get rid of him like you did the others" Law tried to reason. “I’m sure he already knows better than to think of betraying us”

"If his life depends on you behaving, I might as well kill him now" The smile on Doflamingo's lips was a scary one and Law thought for a moment he had failed to convince him, until he continued. "But I'll give you a chance"

He lowered his weapon and Law exhaled after noticing he had been holding his breath. The blond man sat down behind the desk again, leaning back in his chair but his eyes never leaving Law.

"I'll have Vergo work out the details as usual. Find him something to wear for now"

Law saw him get hold of his cellphone as he turned to face the red head. He didn't give the man the time to react as he grabbed him by the only piece of cloth available and forcibly dragged him back to the hallway, closing the door behind him. Once they were out, the taller man finally found his fighting spirit back as he shook Law's hand off of him.

"What are you doing?" He snapped angrily, replacing the sheet that was becoming dangerously loose after the doctor had pulled on it.

"Saving your life" Law explained calmly, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Congratulations, you just became one of Doflamingo's puppets" The sarcasm in his voice all too apparent.

Confusion was visible over the redhead's face while he tried to piece together the events that had just occurred, until finally replaced slowly with realization.

"You convinced Donquixote Doflamingo to hire someone who tried to burn one of his drug den" The redhead finally stated "Who the fuck are you?"

"The family doctor"

Law shrugged, knowing this would not make him any less confused. So the hired muscle had targeted one of the family's S.A.D factories, it was no wonder he had been taken back for questioning. After all, the Donquixotes' revenue now relied on that drug and whoever was attacking their business was declaring war on them.

He managed to lead them back to his quarters with the intention of getting the almost naked man something to wear. Luckily, the place was not as messy as usual, but he wondered why he even cared if it had been.

"They probably won't fit but it will have to do for now" He said after going through the drawers of his dresser to find the baggiest clothes he owned.

The red head inspected the garments for a second while Law decided to sit on his bed to observe him. The surgeon could not deny his current fascination, both at himself for protecting someone he barely knew and at this muscular man that looked like he was totally at a loss. The latter suddenly gave him a serious glare.

"Turn around" He commanded and Law blinked, surprised.

"Really? You realize I've seen everything there is to see already?" He asked mockingly but was met with a menacing glare.

He smiled, snickered softly and finally turned around to give the redhead some privacy.

"What's your name?" The taller man asked while getting dressed.

"Trafalgar Law"

**[End of Part 1]**

* * *

_Extra text message conversation_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------  
[Bellamy]

_They gave Eustass the usual training_   
_Starting officially next Monday apparently_

Eustass?

_Eustass Kid?_   
_Christ you specifically asked the guy to be_   
_your bodyguard and you don't even know his name?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay this one didn't take me 6 months to post
> 
> ~ Later


	4. Facing the music

Kid was slowly starting to understand the intricacies of his new role as Trafalgar Law's caretaker. At first he had thought of the job as a regular body guard one, with some extended duties to ensure the man's quality of life, from personal chauffeur to errand boy. However the more time passed, the more he understood it was actually like being the baby sitter of an extremely difficult child whose parents would tolerate any behavior. On top of it, if Law decided to do something stupid and something happened to him, Kid would be the one to blame. He had also learned the hard way that the surgeon could not be trusted with his own well being, not even with things as simple as eating.

That morning Kid had driven Law from the mansion to the hospital. He had asked if the man had eaten and slept but the surgeon, being in a particularly foul mood that day for a reason that eluded Kid, had simply told him to mind his own business. Only he had not been that polite in his choice of words. Unwilling to fight with him that early in the morning, Kid had decided that if the man was hungry he would surely eat at the hospital cafeteria.

After he had dropped him off, Kid had started his other jobs for the Donquixote family. While taking care of Law was definitely 24/7 work, he still had long periods of time to spare where the surgeon was either working or not leaving the mansion. Kid would serve as extra security and various low key locations run by the family or be on clean up duty to erase the presence of some illicit activity.

His day was going well until a phone call threw it all away. When the unfamiliar ringtone started, he was driving to a SAD factory at the other side of town. It took him a moment to realize the noise was coming from the brand new cellphone he had been given, more accustomed to get his orders by text. The caller id displayed was grand line hospital, strange considering Law had his own cell phone and had never used the hospital line to communicate with him. Maybe the surgeon had forgotten to charge the thing. He stopped thinking about it and answered the call expecting to hear Law's tired voice and not the young lady that actually spoke.

"Hi, I’m calling from Grand Line hospital. Am I speaking with Mister Eustass?' The caller said.

"It's me" Kid replied, anxious to know why someone from Law's hospital was calling him.

"I am sorry to bother you. You were recently given as the emergency number to call for Doctor Trafalgar. I'm afraid he fainted but don’t worry it’s nothing serious and he's resting for now..." Kid didn't need to hear the rest.

"I'll be there in 10" He cut off, hanging up the phone so he could two hand the steering wheel before executing a very illegal and dangerous U-turn and speeding up.

He cursed every minute that went by while he drove to the hospital. Cursed at Law for being such a kid and thinking he could just skip meals. Cursed at himself for not insisting Cursed at the world in general for not being fair to him. Had he not repented enough for his mistakes with the beating? Why did he need to be stuck with that overgrown toddler?

When he finally reached the hospital he parked wherever he could and ran inside the building. He almost shoved an old man out of the way to speak with the receptionist.

"Where is Trafalgar Law?" He asked agitated and slightly out of breath from his sprint.

"Sir please calm down or I'll have to call security" The women behind the counter warned.

Kid was about to yell at her to tell him where the hell he could find the surgeon before he gave he an actual reason to call security when a voice on his right stopped him.

"You didn't have to come Eustass-ya"

He turned around to see Law standing there. If he had looked bad this morning, with bags under his eyes and messed up hair he looked worse now, like he'd been run over by a truck. There was also a gauze on his forehead that had not been there before.

"Are you a fucking idiot?" Kid shouted unable to contain himself.

He quickly noticed everyone in the hospital lobby were now giving them wary stares but ue couldn't care less.

"Don't you know whose balls you're putting on the line when you pull shit like that?" He continued on the same aggressive tone but from the corner of his eye he saw the receptionist get hold of the phone on her desk.

Luckily Law gestured for her to stop before she had time to contact security. Kid did not want things to escalate further but he knew he would be unable to contain his anger with the nonchalant surgeon. He removed his coat and threw it on the latter's shoulders. He then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him outside.

"Let's go"

He did not let go of the man until they were back at the car. Law was probably too weak to resist as he let himself be roughly handled until he was sitting in the back seat. Kid forced himself to calm down as he took his place behind the wheel and started driving away from the hospital.

"Where are we going?" Law asked guarded.

"To get food" 

It was about one in the afternoon. Law would be expected back at the mansion a bit after dinner and there was no way Kid was bringing him in looking like he was.

Less than 15 minutes later, Law and him were sitting inside a McDonald's, a full combo meal laying on the table in front of them. The surgeon seemed puzzled, staring at the food without touching it and then at Kid alternately.

"Eat" The redhead ordered, holding the gray gaze severely.

"You don't seriously expect me to eat that?"

Law’s disdain was apparent in his tone. He looked as if Kid had served him the most horrible looking food he had ever seen. Which, in his case, could very well be true. 

"Relax princess. I'll make you something better later. Just eat it before you pass out again" Kid snarled.

Law kept staring at him silently for a moment before his expression softened.

"Fine" He finally agreed "But I'm not drinking that crap" He pointed at the coke.

Kid clicked his tongue and took the cup away. He began sipping the drink as he was not about to waste it for reason that the surgeon was picky. He kept a close eye on Law as he began picking apart the food. He tossed the top of the hamburger bun to the side and grabbed a plastic fork to eat the meat patty under. He repeated the same operation with the second hamburger. He barely touched the fries but Kid was satisfied just knowing he had eaten something that would sustain him for a bit.

Once he was done, leaving only a mess of bread, american cheese and lettuce, Kid got up and cleaned their table. He then gestured for Law to follow him and he did without complaining.

The surgeon only spoke again once they were on the road, probably recognizing that they were not headed in a familiar direction.

"Where are you taking me now?" He asked, his voice now a familiar blend of annoyance and tiredness. 

"My place"

He saw Law raise a brow through the reflection of his rear view mirror. There was no point in hiding it since there was nothing the raven haired man could do or say to change his mind now. 

"You're going to sleep and then eat something again. I'm not taking you back to the mansion looking like that" He explained.

Law stayed silent. His strange obedience was unexpected but Kid was not about to comment on it. The surgeon's mood had been a real roller coaster since that morning and he didn't know what triggered it to change so drastically so fast.

After a while, they finally pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building. Kid knew it was probably not a good idea to leave the expensive car alone in this part of town but getting Law back into shape before tonight was a bigger concern right now. He stepped out and opened the passenger door to invite Law to come out.

The surgeon quickly scanned his surroundings but stayed silent as they took an old elevator to the seventh floor before finally stepping inside Kid's rundown apartment. His home was part of a decrepit building that looked like it was about to fall apart and the inside furnishing was no better. The entrance gave to a living room with an old couch and a small TV. Kid didn't own much therefore his place was not cluttered.

As soon as Law took a first step in, something bumped into his leg. He looked down to see a white fur ball rubbing its head on the bottom of his pants. Two blue eyes peered up and whiny meowing rose.

Before he had had the time to do anything, Kid had picked up the cat and was carrying it away deeper in his apartment.

"Sorry about that, let me get it out of the way"

"I didn't frame you for the kind of person who owns a cat"

Law took off the coat Kid had lent him and hung it on one of the hooks drilled into the wall next to the doorway.

"I'm not. I was in Zou for a job a couple years back, it followed all the way here so I kept it" Kid explained as he dropped the cat softly on the couch and gave it a scratch under the chin.

"What's its name?"

"Doesn't have one, I just call it cat" Kid shrugged.

Law smiled, amused as he followed Kid into the next room. Further down the hallway was a small kitchen with a dining area that the redhead made a point to keep spotless. The bedroom however was a different story. A mess of clothes and electronics on the floor was complementing the undone bed.

"Go take a shower, you can use any towel there " Kid ordered "I'll change the bed sheet and prepare something for you to eat after you sleep"

Instead of obeying, Law stood still, eyeing Kid suspiciously.

"You know, if you wanted a good way to take revenge on Doflamingo, killing me would be the way to go" 

Kid scoffed. Was Law that wary of him? From what understood, the surgeon was able to fend for himself in a fight and even if Kid had a stronger built it would not be an easy task to overpower him. Admitting he did manage to kill him, then what? There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run and he knew it all too well. Besides, the surgeon had saved his life and Kid had his honor.

"If I wanted to kill you I’d just have to stop caring for you" Kid mocked. "Dead by starvation in a week"

He heard Law tisk before finally giving in. He went for the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Kid heard the distinguished sound of the lock and, moments later, the water of the shower. As promised, he lined his bed with clean sheets, knowing the surgeon would definitely complain if he didn't. He also took some time to clean up the floor by pushing the clutter under the bed, until Law came out of the bathroom.

When he saw him, Kid jolted in surprise at the sight. The raven haired man was only wearing a bath towel, wrapped around his waist. His chest was exposed and the caretaker saw for the first time the extent of the tattoos decorating it. When he realized he had been staring, he quickly averted his eyes feeling heat rush to his cheeks.

"Put on some clothes" Kid commanded.

"I only have the ones from the hospital." The other replied, not bothered by the red heads reaction.

Kid cursed internally for not thinking of that before. He rapidly searched around his wardrobe pulling out a t-shirt that looked like it would fit the lean man and boxers. He handed them over to the surgeon who looked at them for a moment before shamelessly dropping the towel covering him. Kid barely had time to look away. He heard a soft laugh coming from Law. He would have appreciated the rare occurrence of a genuine laughter from the surgeon had he not been laughing at his expense.

Once the clothes were taken off his hand, he turned his heels and headed back to the kitchen.

"Sleep now. I'll wake you up later" He ordered before closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of another 3 chapters part  
[1/3]  
~ Until next time


	5. Catnap

"I thought I told you to sleep"

Kid turned around from the fridge he had been looking in to stare at Law as he casually sat at the table a few feet behind him. The shirt he had given the surgeon was way too large for him and it fell loosely on his collarbone, exposing a bit more skin than what Kid was comfortable with.

"Can't" The surgeon said not bothered by Kid's look. "Chronic insomniac, thought your orientation would have covered that" He added mockingly

Kid vaguely recalled Vergo mentioning something about Law’s catastrophic sleeping habits but nothing like insomnia. He had been told to insure Law’s wellbeing in all aspects of his life, but it was easier said than done. Law slept at the mansion, out of his control. 

"When is the last time you slept?" Kid asked.

His tone was serious. He closed the refrigerator door empty handed and leaned back against the counter of the small kitchen. He had never suffered from insomnia, but he still knew a thing or two about it. The disorder usually came with a myriad of other problems. Law looked up pensively.

"At the hospital about an hour ago" He jested, a smile curving the corner of his lips.

"I meant _ really _ slept" Kid added humorlessly.

Law seemed to study his expression for a moment, his smile dropping as his face suddenly became solemn.

"Doflamingo took away my sleeping pills three days ago" He then explained, looking away.

Kid wanted to ask why the hell he would do something like that, but he forced himself to bite the question back. It was definitely not his place to challenge his boss's decisions. There was something definitely perplexing about the crime lord mingling in his subordinate’s medical affairs, especially since said subordinate was a doctor. However, Law was just not like one of his other lackeys either. He was part of the family and perhaps it was not as unusual as Kid thought.

"I don't have sleeping pills." He finally declared. "Anything else I can give you to help you sleep?"

He likely had chamomile tea stashed somewhere, or maybe warm milk would help. 

"Heroin?" The doctor replied.

Kid was getting tired of Law's laid back attitude. He was about to tell him to stop joking around when he was met with an intense and very serious gray stare.

"No" He answered plainly.

"Not your poison?"

Kid, who had no intention of getting into the details of his personal life amd habits with the surgeon, kept his answer short. 

"I stay away from it"

"Shame" Law breathed out, disappointed.

The surgeon laid his arm down on the table to rest the side of his head on his bicep and let his eyelids fall lazily. He looked absolutely worn out and defeated.

Kid cursed internally at his powerlessness to help. For a minute, he could only gaze silently at the one he was supposed to be looking after, the man who for a reason that still evaded him had saved his life. Watching as his back slowly raised at every breath he took, as the hair on the nap of his neck stood, probably feeling the cold drafts of air seeping through the window of the run down apartment. 

The messy hair still looked damp from the shower and Kid felt compelled to extend a hand and run his fingers through the dark locks. Law seemed calm and harmless, defenseless almost. The redhead felt something stirred in his chest, a feeling he had thought buried years ago; the innate drive to protect someone. 

His hand halted its course inches away from its target, when the doctor unexpectedly opened his eyes again. Law frowned, the gray orbs drilling holes into him. All manners of weakness suddenly erased. 

Kid withdrew his hand almost instantly, feeling as if he had tried to pet a tiger and the animal was about to bite the appendage off. He turned around bringing his attention back to the meal he meant to prepare.

"Go lie down in the bed at least" He grunted, trying to ignore the eyes following him as he opened his fridge again to grab a package of raw chicken in it.

He eventually heard the door of his bedroom close again and he sighed, relieved the surgeon had listened to him.

He tugged away his previous impulsive action at the back of his mind, preferring not to think about it too much, as he began cooking a meal he thought would be up to Law’s difficult standards. 

[2/3]


	6. Going out like a light

Law opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a bed that clearly wasn't his in a cramped room that was obviously not in the mansion. Before he had time to find his bearings, the door of the room opened revealing the red haired man standing behind it.

"Didn't you hear me? I said food is ready" Kid said irritated, but when his eyes set on Law he seemed to be taken aback for a moment.

The surgeon sat up and blinked a few times remembering the past few hours. He was at Kid's apartment. He had taken a shower, laid down in his bed and fallen asleep. That last part didn't add up. He had not fallen asleep so easily in years without aid or slept so deeply. It was no wonder bewilderment washed over him as the redhead came to wake him up.

Kid seemed just as confused as him. His expression betraying his curiosity however he did not dare to ask if Law had been sleeping. 

"Food is ready" He repeated instead,

Law rubbed his eye with the back of his hand, trying to rid his face of its tiredness.

"Give me a minute" He mumbled and Kid nodded, leaving him alone again.

He quickly gathered himself and walked to the kitchen. Kid had set the small table on which rested two bowls filled with what looked like soup. There was a nice aroma in the air, a mix of chicken stock, ginger and jasmin.

The redhead seemed busy scrubbing the dishes clean so Law sat down and waited, eyeing the bowl in front of him with fascination. From Eustass’s thuggish looks, Law never would have guessed he had any affinity for cooking. He had half expected him to serve him some toast or yesterday's take out leftovers. Admittedly, this was not the high end food he was used to eat but it felt somewhat homely.

It had been a while since he had had such a meal. As ironic as it was, for him, eating with the family was anything but home-like. He had to go very far in his memory to recall the last time he had felt that way.

A hand suddenly crossed his field of vision and he jolted in surprise. He watched as Kid rapidly brought the spoon he was holding down into the surgeon's untouched bowl and without hesitation brought the hot liquid back to his own mouth. He then let himself fall on the chair in front of Law. The latter gave him a muddled look to which the redhead replied with a smirk.

"In case you thought I'd poison you"

He then brought his attention to his own bowl and missed the scowl on Law's face. The surgeon did the same, feeling his meger burger meal from earlier had done a poor job at keeping him full. The soup tasted of its smell, along with hints of garlic and cilantro. It was a quite refreshing flavour and he found himself accepting a second serving from Kid.

While they ate, Kid took the opportunity to ask Law about his medical school years, expressing his confusion about how someone around his age could already work as a surgeon. With a combination of special circumstances and a good brain, Law had managed to start and complete his studies early. Starting his hospital residency in his early twenties and obtaining his certificates quickly. He picked his words carefully as he spoke of the past 10 years and, when asked why he decided to become a surgeon, avoided the subject completely by querying Kid about his own studies if any.

"I had formal bodyguard training" Kid revealed. "Went legit for a couple years"

His expression turned slightly grim. Law opened his mouth about to ask why he had quit but he was cut off before any word came out.

"It's getting late, go get changed, I'm bringing you back to the mansion" He commanded, getting up from his seat and bringing both their empty bowls over to the sink.

Law stared at the muscular back for a few seconds frowning. He then obliged and went back to the bedroom.

* * *

Kid dropped him off in the underground parking lot of the mansion as he had left his jacket at the hospital and the red head did not want him to catch a cold. He hurried to the elevator, feeling too lazy for stairs.

When he stepped outside the metal doors and into the mansion was greeted by Vergo. He frowned as he knew this never meant anything good. Before any words were exchanged, the stoic man had handed him a bottle. He quickly realized he was holding the sleeping pills Doflamingo had taken away from him a few nights ago. He looked up at the tall man, puzzled.

"Where is Doffy?" He asked.

"He's away on business for the week" Vergo replied and Law felt somewhat relieved.

His hand clamped down on the bottle of sleeping pills. He had started to feel the withdrawal symptoms since they had been taken away and was anticipating the calming sensation he would get from taking them. Luckily, Vergo did not seem to need him for anything. He simply shot Law a judgemental stare as he continued walking to his room.

When he finally reached it, he locked the door behind him. It was a useless thing to do since Vergo had the master key to every room on the mansion but it gave him a sensation of separation. He got rid of his uncomfortable clothes, abandoning them on the floor. It was still early to sleep but right now there was nothing else he wanted more than to slide into a numbing slumber.

As he was about to put his phone down on the nightstand, he noticed the soft notification light pulsing. Kid had apparently texted him minutes after he had dropped him off.

* * *

[Eustass]

Text me if you can't sleep again.

Soup was too salty

* * *

[3/3] End of part 2

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted the last 2 parts way too late at night, they may or may not be full of typos. I'll try fixing it later.


End file.
